Speedster 240 problems need help

[Andy9236]

I recently acquired a 2003 speedster 240 with the mercury v6. When test driving it the oil light came on with the 4 beeps indicating low reservoir. I then filled with oil (2weeks later) and let it sit for about 30 mins. Went and hooked up the hose to it. Turned it on to see if the oil light would go off. The boat ran for about 2-3 minutes before the continuous alarm went off which is when I immediately shut it down. Any ideas what this could be??
Any and all help appreciated! Thanks!

 

[Tim75]

You may not have enough flow from your hose. There is a lot of "waste" water thru the system. If there wasn't, all the hose water would come out thru the muffler exhausts and the pee hole. You will notice there is a LOT of water coming out of the jet drive.
Low flow could lead to overheating, triggering the alarm.

Have you checked the oil level in the header tank? That is the only oil level sensor. Common failure. Check condition of wires from oil level sensor. It only shows full or empty. Any oil in the bilge? Broken or leaking hoses?

Has the linkage from the throttle to oil pump ever been disconnected? It is easy to reconnect the oil pump arm wrong. This would be MORE oil at idle and less to none at WOT.

 

[Andy9236]

When you say the header tank is that the side mounted oil tank? If so yes I put oil in that and the big tank. Is there a way to “test” that sensor? Like manually making it think it’s full (even though it really is full)?
No broken/leaking hoses I can see.

 

[Andy9236]

I will have time here and there to work on it till about 1pm, after that everything dies down at work since it’s friday and I’ll be able to go mess with it and see if it works and if it doesn’t then report back here. I also read something about purging the lines?

 

[noviceskier]

Send us picture of your oil pump, chance it isn't aligned? Have you checked for air in the lines?

 

[Andy9236]

This boat is new to me...haven’t worked on it much more than looking in the engine bay and putting oil in the 2 tanks. Could you tell me where to find the oil pump and I’ll get you a pic ASAP

Just checked the fuel filter just for fun (it’s new shouldn’t be any issues with it) and while unscrewing it it immediately started flowing out and I noticed it looks like there’s something that plugs into the bottom of it and it was unplugged...does this need to be snapped back on?

 

[Andy9236]

3rd pic is that fuel filter issue...went ahead and just plugged that wire back in. The rest are all the components I see relating to the oil

 

[Tim75]

This boat is new to me...haven’t worked on it much more than looking in the engine bay and putting oil in the 2 tanks. Could you tell me where to find the oil pump and I’ll get you a pic ASAP

Just checked the fuel filter just for fun (it’s new shouldn’t be any issues with it) and while unscrewing it it immediately started flowing out and I noticed it looks like there’s something that plugs into the bottom of it and it was unplugged...does this need to be snapped back on?

Oil pump
Located port side, on the block, near top. Not very big, would fit into a 3x3x3 inch box. One linkage, 2 hoses. Should be about on top of your oil tank.

After all that, Merc made some engines with electric motor driven oil pump. When all else fails, follow the hoses.

 

[Andy9236]

Oil pump
Located port side, on the block, near top. Not very big, would fit into a 3x3x3 inch box. One linkage, 2 hoses. Should be about on top of your oil tank.

After all that, Merc made some engines with electric motor driven oil pump. When all else fails, follow the hoses.

Someone told me they had two versions of the engine an updated one and an older one. They said the older one had an oil tank located near the front and on top of the engine and the updated one was on the side. According to them mine is the updated one? Not sure. And they said this should be the oil pump.

The hose circled is the other hose coming from the larger reservoir oil tank

 

[turbosl2]

This boat is new to me...haven’t worked on it much more than looking in the engine bay and putting oil in the 2 tanks. Could you tell me where to find the oil pump and I’ll get you a pic ASAP

Just checked the fuel filter just for fun (it’s new shouldn’t be any issues with it) and while unscrewing it it immediately started flowing out and I noticed it looks like there’s something that plugs into the bottom of it and it was unplugged...does this need to be snapped back on?

I believe there is a water sensor that plugs into the bottom. Did you confirm the oil reservoir on the engine is in deed filled? Is the cap on the hull on tight with a good oring? Someone cross threaded mine and it wasn’t sealing. The engine pressurizes the main tank to drive the oil into the tank on the engine

 

[Andy9236]

Yes both tanks are full. The boat is at my work in a warehouse I planned on going tomorrow to empty out the fuel filter (just Incase it does have water) and I’ll also check all of the caps

 

[Andy9236]

All oil is filled up and I emptied out the fuel filter just for fun. All wires and everything look good. Light still on (didn’t crank the engine just turned the key) only thing I have left to do is put gas in. I read on another forum that some people’s gas tanks are hooked up to the smart craft system and my gas is pretty low. After that only thing I can think is replace the side mount oil tank.

 

[turbosl2]

All oil is filled up and I emptied out the fuel filter just for fun. All wires and everything look good. Light still on (didn’t crank the engine just turned the key) only thing I have left to do is put gas in. I read on another forum that some people’s gas tanks are hooked up to the smart craft system and my gas is pretty low. After that only thing I can think is replace the side mount oil tank.

The light staying in my be normal. I would have to check mine when it’s not running

 

[Andy9236]

i did not think it may be normal...but since it is just like a "check engine light" or alert light, it might be similar to how the check engine light in a car stays on when the engine is not on but the key is turned. still have not been able to take it out to go put gas in it, but once i do that i will also hook up water and run it for a minute or two and see if it will go away. will update

 

[noviceskier]

i did not think it may be normal...but since it is just like a "check engine light" or alert light, it might be similar to how the check engine light in a car stays on when the engine is not on but the key is turned. still have not been able to take it out to go put gas in it, but once i do that i will also hook up water and run it for a minute or two and see if it will go away. will update

just remember to start engines before turning on the tap and then turning off the tap before shutting them off.

 

[Andy9236]

Put gas in. did not work. called the guy who i bought it from, then called his mechanic. told me to undo one wire at a time from the side mount oil tank, did that and the first wire i unplugged nothing changed, light and alarm on. plugged it back in. unplugged a second wire, no alarm or light. so im guessing the whole side mount tank needs to be replaced?

 

[Andy9236]

i found a new oil tank for $133 plus $20 shipping...will have it here next week and wanted to take it out next weekend. just wanted some kind of assurance this will/might solve the problem. if it does not solve the problem, then what else could be causing this issue? and would it be "safe" to run it with this wire unplugged if i kept a good eye on the oil level?

 

[Andy9236]

or just replace the switch assembly?

 

[Tim75]

i found a new oil tank for $133 plus $20 shipping...will have it here next week and wanted to take it out next weekend. just wanted some kind of assurance this will/might solve the problem. if it does not solve the problem, then what else could be causing this issue? and would it be "safe" to run it with this wire unplugged if i kept a good eye on the oil level?

The side tank has a sensor in the cap. It is a magnetic reed switch. As the oil level rises and falls in the tank, there is a float with a magnet on it. Its proximity, (when oil is low,) will close the reed switch, sending the low oil alarm. Unless your tank has a leak, you may only need the sensor. If you have disconnected both wires from the sensor, it sounds like you have another problem.

 

[Tim75]

just remember to start engines before turning on the tap and then turning off the tap before shutting them off.

Might be important on a jet ski, but not so much on a Merc.

 

[Andy9236]

The side tank has a sensor in the cap. It is a magnetic reed switch. As the oil level rises and falls in the tank, there is a float with a magnet on it. Its proximity, (when oil is low,) will close the reed switch, sending the low oil alarm. Unless your tank has a leak, you may only need the sensor. If you have disconnected both wires from the sensor, it sounds like you have another problem.

Is the sensor your talking about next to the “fill” cap on the tank? With two wires coming out and a screw? When the wires come out from behind the tank at the bottom one of them splits off into two wires and the other goes into a tube with other wires. I cannot recall if when the first time I disconnected them I disconnected the two at the split and the other one or just one of the split wires and the other one. All I know night now is when I unplugged one of the wires the alarm went off. I’m going to go mess with it tomorrow since weather here will be bad all day.

 

[Andy9236]

These are the wires. The first is the wires all connected. The pics with the red markups I added the light is still on. The very last pic is just one wire disconnected and the light goes off

 

[Andy9236]

ordered a new switch assembly...$40 plus two day shipping. hopefully this fixes the issue and if not then ill have a new one.

 

[Andy9236]

I also think i confirmed it is the sensor itself that is bad...i remember reading somewhere that if you take the sensor out and run a magnet up and down the side of it it should make the light go off. so i did this and when my magnet was halfway down the sensor stem, the red light went off, but when the magnet was at the top or bottom, the red light was on. does this sound about right???

 

[Andy9236]

Replaced whole side mount oil tank and top sensor for $75 off eBay. Problem resolved

Thanks guys!